


i want to read your story cover to cover

by SilkyinaBottle



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, just kidding i explained it, master matchmaker sayori, more like "discussed" but the act of abuse itself isn't shown, post golden end, the MC is named makoto, yeah try to figure out how that works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 16:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13594218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilkyinaBottle/pseuds/SilkyinaBottle
Summary: “Yeah, I get it.” Her smile turns a little smug now. “I’ve set my standards pretty high for you. Whatever you give me, it better be good.”That… sounds like a lot of pressure, but Yuri is up to the challenge. She swallows the growing lump in her throat and nods. “Everything in my collection is good,” she asserts. “But I’ll only pick out the very best to start with.”Does she look determined? Shefeelsdetermined. There’s a little bit of unfamiliar energy coursing through her veins, and it only feels stronger when Natsuki smirks at her and says, “Good. I’m already looking forward to it.”Yuri and Natsuki start their very own Book Recommendation Club, in a sense.





	i want to read your story cover to cover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [graveExcitement (arachnids)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arachnids/gifts).



> graveExcitement, here's your fic for chocolate box this year! i wasn't totally sure if i would be able to churn out a good fic for ddlc, but your prompt really inspired me, so here we are!
> 
> this was supposed to be a bit longer, with a sort of epilogue tacked onto the end, but it's already almost 5,000 words and i'm rushing to get it out on time, so i hope you'll take it as it is, haha. i had a lot of fun writing it!!

(if there’s one thing in this world she values— or one thing she _valued_ before she _knew_ — it’s friendship. relationships. the people around her. even after she realizes how remarkably different they are from her, she knows she doesn’t want to let go of them so easily. there are memories she still wants to make. days she still wants to spend in the clubroom, laughing and chatting and sharing their favorite books over tea and cupcakes.

so she pushes the limits of the world she knows, of the story that’s supposed to be told, and trudges on.)

 

“Here,” Natsuki says, shoving a glossy-covered volume of manga into Yuri’s waiting hands. _Gothic Spark._ “It’s one of those supernatural romances that got really popular a couple years ago. I know it looks kind of cheesy—” Yuri nods in mild agreement. The way the couple is posed on the cover is melodramatic at best. “—but it’s actually really good! And it’s still being published right now, so that’s gotta mean something, right?”

Yuri offers her a gentle smile in return. “I appreciate it.” She turns around and heads back towards the desk she’d stationed herself at, Natsuki following just a few steps behind. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything for you yet,” she sighs as she slips the book safely into her bag. She’s surprised Natsuki’s letting her take it home, but perhaps she’s noticed what good condition Yuri keeps her own books in. “I’m still thinking about what you might like.” Manga at least has a variety of genres to choose from— she imagines it wasn’t hard finding something that suited her tastes— but picking out a horror novel that fits Natsuki (fluffy, soft, pretty-in-pink Natsuki), is an entirely different challenge.

Natsuki smiles understandingly, meaning she’s probably thought about that, too. “Yeah, I get it.” Her smile turns a little smug now. “I’ve set my standards pretty high for you. Whatever you give me, it better be good.”

That… sounds like a lot of pressure, but Yuri is up to the challenge. She swallows the growing lump in her throat and nods. “Everything in my collection is good,” she asserts. “But I’ll only pick out the very best to start with.”

Does she look determined? She _feels_ determined. There’s a little bit of unfamiliar energy coursing through her veins, and it only feels stronger when Natsuki smirks at her and says, “Good. I’m already looking forward to it.”

 

(whatever she does, no matter how good she gets, she doesn’t touch yuri and natsuki. she’s seen how badly that can backfire.

besides, she loves them exactly the way they are. she doesn’t see what she would ever want to change.)

 

That night, Yuri scours her book shelves, pulling out novel after novel and organizing them in neat little stacks on her desk (and once she runs out of room, on her bed) based on how much she thinks Natsuki would like them. The stack of best books, she finds, is filled with misleading plots: stories with warm and happy beginnings that slowly or suddenly descend into madness later on.

She puts away the rest of the books and spreads the finalists across her comforter. It takes her forty-five more minutes to choose a book, mostly because she keeps on getting distracted and searching for her favorite passages in each one.

In the end, she slips the book _The Gifts Keep Coming_ into her bag. It’s one of her old favorites; a story about a girl who receives letters from a secret admirer that steadily turn obsessive. The beginning will be light enough to pull Natsuki in, and the writing style reminds her of Natsuki, in a way.

Not that she’s ever read much of Natsuki’s writing before. She’s never gotten much of an opportunity. But she has a _feeling_ Natsuki’s writing is like this. She doesn’t know where such a feeling comes from, but it hasn’t left her since she pulled the book off of her shelf.

She starts to read the manga Natsuki leant her, too. She promised she would, after all. She plans to read the first few chapters before going to bed, but her reading light stays on for much longer than she had anticipated. When she’s finally winding down, her eyes dart back to the clock, and she realizes it’s 2 AM.

Huh. She stashes the first volume of _Gothic Spark_ back in her bag, right next to _The Gifts Keep Coming._ She’ll have to ask Natsuki for the second one tomorrow.

 

(but geez, ŐñĆㄇĂɥȈȒ really messed everything up, huh? she keeps finding bits of her old story everywhere. you’d think getting rid of her would have fixed that problem, but everywhere she turns, there’s another problem she needs to work around. she feels kind of bad thinking of her old friend that way, but it’s hard to deny how much trouble she caused.

her fingertips brush against the delicate skin of her throat, ever cautious.)

 

When Yuri walks into Literature Club the next afternoon, she’s surprised to hear Natsuki ask, “So, where’s that book you promised me?” Not because she didn’t expect it— of course she expected it, otherwise she wouldn’t have picked out a book at all— she just didn’t expect it so _soon_. She figured Natsuki would bother her about her opinions on the manga first, at least.

When she doesn’t respond, Natsuki tuts and places her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me you _forgot_. That’s just not like you!”

Yuri startles a little and fumbles opening her bookbag. “No, I didn’t! Sorry, I was just… thinking of something.” Before Natsuki can open her mouth to interrogate her any further, she pulls out _The Gifts Keep Coming_ and offers it for Natsuki to take. “This is what I decided on. I’m confident you’ll like it.”

Natsuki grins as she takes it. “I hope you are.” She stares at the cover for a moment, looking just as confused as Yuri thought she would. “This doesn’t look very scary…”

“I thought I’d start you out with something a little lighter,” she explains. It’s technically not a lie. “That’s not to say it isn’t horror, though.”

Natsuki squints at the book, and then at her face. “Okay… If you say so.” She starts to move across the room to put it in her bag, but Sayori stops her partway over, easily peering over her shoulder.

“Ooh… That’s Yuri’s, right?” she coos, even as Natsuki turns away, clutching the book close to her chest. The motions tugs one of the sleeves of her uniform down, and she quickly yanks it back up, looking alarmed. Sayori giggles and scampers over to Yuri instead. “Hey, you should let me borrow a book some time! I bet your collection is full of really refined tastes!”

Yuri flushes a little, overwhelmed by the sudden attention. “I guess you could say that…” Over Sayori’s shoulder, she sees Natsuki let out a petulant huff and storm towards her desk. She wonders why.

“I’d really love to see it someday!” Sayori says, bringing Yuri’s attention back to her. She’s beaming. “I’m always looking for new things to try out!” Something tells her Sayori isn’t just talking about books. Still, she feels like, if she were to lend Sayori a book, it wouldn’t come from her horror collection.

But she doesn’t get the opportunity to say any of this before something is shoved in front of her, effectively interrupting her conversation with Sayori. ...It’s a book. The second volume of _Gothic Spark_ , in fact. Her gaze travels to Natsuki’s face. “You finished the first one yesterday, right?” she asks, giving Yuri a hard look. “I know you’re a fast reader, and you wouldn’t waste my time by making me wait.”

“Oh!” Yuri quickly retrieves the first volume from her bookbag nearby. “Yes, of course.” She trades it for the second volume, and Natsuki looks pleased.

“Good. Get that one back to me by tomorrow.” She turns on her heel to return the first volume back to its happy home in the Literature Club’s closet. Yuri nods, even if Natsuki can’t see. She plans to.

 

(she’ll never really need to borrow any of yuri’s books. she could read any of them whenever she wanted without leaving the clubroom. she would probably borrow them anyways, though, if only because that feels like a strange breach of privacy. she’s even added a few to the collection herself; all in the name of making their world fuller. more real.

she wonders how many ŐñĆㄇĂɥȈȒ wrote, and then she laughs.)

 

They’re nearly two weeks into their little arrangement when Yuri starts to feel… different. Not about the books themselves. _Gothic Spark_ was surprisingly engaging and every manga Natsuki has recommended to her since has held her interest. She’s even starting to get into that slice-of-life genre that Natsuki’s so fond of; the same one she had dismissed before as too childish to be worth her time.

No, her feelings about the books haven’t changed. It’s her feelings about _Natsuki_ that are shifting. And they aren’t taking a turn for the worse, as she might have expected… no, instead, she finding herself… rather _fond_ of Natsuki.

It doesn’t take her long at all to recognize the way her heart starts to pick up pace whenever Natsuki enters the room, or the swan dive her stomach takes when she suggests they read side-by-side for once. She’s had plenty of crushes before. She just never expected someone like Natsuki to become the object of her affections. She’s always preferred the gentle, caring type.

And maybe that’s the problem. If there’s anything Yuri’s learned this past week, it’s that underneath her harsh exterior, Natsuki is exceptionally warmhearted. She just focuses her kindness towards the most important things in her life: Yuri has seen the way she handles her manga with the utmost care, as if the smallest fold in the pages would be equal to death itself, and of course she would have to blind not to notice that she always brings handmade sweets to club the day after they praise her baking skills.

But it’s not just that. Natsuki’s been softer to _her_ lately, too, which begs the question: has she somehow become _important_ to Natsuki? She can’t help but doubt it, even when the evidence suggests otherwise, and that’s what leads her feet to Sayori’s classroom that lunch period.

“Hmmmm…,” Sayori drones, staring just past Yuri over her bottle of apple juice (a sort of peace offering that she had purchased her before arriving). “...Well, you could just ask her!” she suggests, and Yuri must have paled, because Makoto quickly jumps in to rescue her.

“I think Yuri was asking for a way to deal with her feelings without any direct confrontation.” It’s times like these that make Yuri very grateful he joined the club.

Sayori’s eyes light up. “ _Ohhhhhh_ , I see! Well, in that case…,” she pokes at her bento, skewering a piece of tamago and popping it into her mouth, “wha iff you wro ha a foem?”

Yuri blinks. “I’m sorry… repeat that?” Hopefully without the food in her mouth this time.

And thankfully, Sayori chews and swallows before speaking this time. “I said, what if you wrote her a poem? Or at least wrote a poem about how you feel! I guess you don’t have to give it to her, but it would help you work out your feelings, right?”

Makoto sighs and mutters, “Maybe next time don’t talk with your mouth full…,” while Yuri considers the idea. It’s surprisingly insightful coming from Sayori, and every bit as empathetic as she would have expected. After all, Sayori’s heart is what drew Yuri to ask for her help in the first place.

As the bell rings, she rises to her feet and thanks Sayori and Makoto both for their help, waving politely as they go their separate ways. By the time she returns to class, she’s already brainstorming.

 

(gosh, she never saw that coming! it makes her even gladder she never messed around with either of them. she thinks she likes it better as a surprise.

and after yuri’s revelation… well, she keeps a closer eye on natsuki than before. looking for… signals, maybe. a sign of reciprocation. and she finds it. she finds it pretty easily! but it’s clear she isn’t going to do anything about it on her own, so maybe it’s time for some intervention?

but not that kind of intervention. never that kind.)

 

It’s been a long day at the Literature Club, and Natsuki is just packing up her things when she hears a cheery voice call out, “Natsuki! Your club president has something she’d like to discuss with you!” Natsuki sighs as Sayori skips over to her, because she has shit she needs to do, thank you very much.

Still, she knows from experience that it’s hard to sway Sayori once she’s got her mind set on something, so she’s going to be having this conversation whether she likes it or not (and she really doesn’t like it). “What do you need?”

Sayori falters a little, maybe not expecting her to give in so easy, but Natsuki raises her eyebrows, urging her to continue. “Oh, right!” Did she seriously forget for a second there? God, she’s such an airhead sometimes. “I wanted to talk to you about Yuri!”

Natsuki almost scoffs. “What about her? We’re getting along now.” Something that she finds herself surprisingly happy about. “Don’t tell me you _seriously_ have something to complain about, after all this.”

“What? No, no!” Sayori shakes her head so hard and so fervently that her bow starts to slip from her hair. She doesn’t move to fix it, and it sort of bothers Natsuki. “I wanted to ask you how you feel about her!”

How she feels about her…? The meaning of her words take longer to dawn upon Natsuki than she’d like to admit. But as soon as she gets it, her face is turning cherry red faster than she can control it. She turns her head away violently, hoping she can hide it. There’s still time to salvage this, she tells herself. “What’s there to ask about?! She’s my friend! I-I think she’s fine!” That may have been a _touch_ defensive, but to be fair, she acts pretty defensive in general.

But unfortunately, Sayori is a lot smarter than she likes to let on. “I was just wondering if you like her! You know, like, like-like her!”

From the back of the room, Makoto sighs, making Natsuki start— she honest-to-god hadn’t realized he was still in the room. “That’s a bit redundant, Sayori. Besides, I think she knows what you’re talking about.”

“Well, I just wanted to make sure, is all!”

“Wha— how long have you been there?” Natsuki finally manages to spit out, glaring daggers at Makoto. “How much did you hear?”

“Uh…,” Makoto is looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here, “the whole time? And… all of it?”

Natsuki throws her head back and groans, burying her hands in her hair and pulling. “I can’t _believe_ this…”

“It’s _okay_ , Natsuki!” Sayori chirps, obviously trying (and failing, honestly) to be reassuring. “I want to _help_!”

“Help?” Natsuki pulls her hands out of her hair and scowls. “How the hell do you plan on helping? Actually,” she shakes her head, “scratch that. Why do you think this is any of your business in the first place?”

“Well…,” it looks like she hardly has to think about it, “because I’m this club’s president, of course! It’s my job to make sure there aren’t any issues between clubmates!”

“It’s not an _issue_ ,” Natsuki instinctively huffs.

“Well, you sure are making it one,” Makoto mutters, and he recoils when Natsuki shoots a glare at him. “I mean— sorry.”

Sayori turns and hops towards him a few steps. “No, no, Makoto! Don’t apologize when you’re right!” Natsuki is about to open her mouth to loudly object, but Sayori swiftly continues. “You can’t bottle all of those feelings up, Natsuki!” She marches back towards Natsuki, speaking with greater passion than she’d ever heard coming from her. “Especially when they’re happy ones! I’m not saying you have to do anything about it right now, but…,” her gaze softens a little, “admitting it is a good first step. Don’t you think?”

Natsuki finds her resolve wavering a little. It’s taken too much effort to keep it up. “...I guess you’re right,” she mumbles, and Sayori beams.

 

(two for two! she has to say, she’s pretty proud of herself with this one. and all without even glancing at the code.

ŐñĆㄇĂɥȈȒ would be proud, she thinks. or maybe she wouldn’t. and after a while, she realizes she doesn’t really care either way.)

 

It’s mid-afternoon on a Saturday when Yuri decides to pay Natsuki’s home a visit. It’s not a long walk, actually; only a few blocks away from her own house. She’s only been there once, to deliver a message to her from Sayori when she missed a club day due to illness. She’s sure Natsuki will complain about her showing up unannounced, but she just finished the last volume of _Parfait Girls_ and she feels like they have to discuss it. The ending was so heartfelt… She never expected Kaori to—

She’s pulled out of her thoughts by the violent slam of a door a few houses down the block. Not just any house… that’s Natsuki’s house, isn’t it?

A large, grizzled-looking man storms away from the house, shaking one hand as if he’d injured it somehow. The shade of his hair and the shape of his eyes is enough to have Yuri tentatively identify him as Natsuki’s father. Something about the way he holds himself gives her chills. Did they get into an argument…?

She stays rooted in her spot, not wanting to be spotted by him. She’s there plenty long enough to connect the dots. Fights with her father. Missing club meetings. Her father’s injured hand. Natsuki tugging the sleeves of her uniform back into place.

As soon as her father is out of sight, Yuri tucks the manga she’s holding under her arm and takes off at a dead sprint. She makes it across the block in seconds. Her hands fumble at the doorknob, but she’s mildly relieved to find the house unlocked. She pushes the door open and stumbles inside.

“Natsuki—” She strains her voice. “ _Natsuki!”_

Her feet take her through the living room and around the corner, peering into the hallway and

there

she

is.

 

(she should have looked. at least once. maybe then she would have known. maybe she could have stopped it sooner.

maybe, maybe, maybe, plays all through her head as she and makoto rush to yuri’s house.)

 

She couldn’t keep Natsuki in her home. Her home _wasn’t safe_. The bruises lining her skin made that clear as day. But she wasn’t sure if contacting the police right away was what Natsuki would want, and she certainly didn’t appear to be in critical condition, so…

Yuri scooped her up and carried her away, down the street and towards her house instead. She was much, much lighter than expected, and that alone made Yuri worry more than ever before.

...And so that brings her here, with Natsuki resting in her bedroom upstairs while she cooks some pasta on the stove, with Sayori and Makoto solemnly drinking tea at the kitchen table. Her hands shake as she picks up the wooden spoon, and clearly Makoto notices, because he sets down his tea and stands up to help.

But Yuri holds a hand out. “I’m fine. Just… a bit overwhelmed. You should worry about Natsuki.”

Makoto presses his lips into a thin line and sits back down. She imagines that one is hard to argue with. “...So what’s your plan, then?” he asks. “Her father’s going to come home eventually, right? And if he comes looking for her…”

“I know,” Yuri sighs. “That’s one of the reasons I called you over.” She puts the heat on low so the pasta can simmer and turns to face the two of them. “I’d… like to call the authorities, but I’m not sure if Natsuki would be… comfortable with that.”

“Why don’t you ask her?” Sayori suggests; the first words she’s spoken in a while.

“She’s busy resting, and we don’t have time to wait for her to wake up. Besides, I’m…,” she clasps her hands together, “...worried about how she might react. Considering the subject matter… I’d rather not send her into a panic.”

“That… sort of seems unavoidable at this point,” Makoto says plainly. “But I guess I understand where you’re coming from.”

There’s a moment where none of them know quite the words to say, until finally Sayori breaks the stifling silence. “If he’s hurting Natsuki, then I think… her safety matters most, right?”

Yuri swallows. “That’s… of course it does, I’m just concerned that… what if she’s contacted the police before, and he’s forced her to pretend she was lying, or just overreacting? Then they would have reason to believe she’s not actually being abused.”

There’s another silence, and when Yuri looks at Sayori, she notices her eyes glancing back and force, almost as if she’s dreaming. “...That hasn’t happened before,” she announces suddenly. She must notice Yuri and Makoto’s strange looks after a moment, because she flinches a little and elaborates. “I-I mean, you know, as club president, I get access to a bunch of documents about you guys that the school has! For safety reasons, you know? And I tried not to look, but I got kinda curious, and, well… I definitely remember that Natsuki and her family haven’t had any important interactions with the police.”

Yuri blinks. That’s… odd, but it does console her enough. She stares at her feet for a long moment, building her resolve, and then she finally nods. “I guess we should try, then.” For Natsuki.

Sayori and Makoto get to their feet, each looking a little more confident than before, and Yuri is the first to step towards the phone.

 

(just this once, she’ll make an exception. for her safety, she’ll make an exception. for her happiness, their club president will make an exception.

she has to, she has to, she has to.)

 

The first time Natsuki wakes up, she’s in a room she doesn’t recognize. She would panic, were it not for the fact that anywhere is better than her own home. Once she’s taken in her surroundings, she lets her head hit the pillow again, hoping to get some more sleep, but she pauses when she hears something crinkle underneath her head.

She shifts, sticking a hand under the pillow and pawing around until she finds the folded piece of paper underneath. Curiosity seizes her; maybe she can use this to figure out where she is and why she’s here.

She unfolds it with trembling fingers and reads it over. It’s addressed to her. So maybe this will explain every…

Oh.

_Oh._

Natsuki carefully tucks the poem back under the pillow and closes her eyes again. Despite the butterflies fluttering in her gut, sleep comes easily.

The second time she wakes up, it’s to the sound of the door opening and the welcome scent of food. Yuri smiles at her and sets a bowl of pasta on the bedside table, which Natsuki quickly snatches up. Yuri lets out a huff of a laugh as Natsuki stuffs her face, but her eyes are sad. Natsuki doesn’t bother thinking about why. She’s too busy focusing on the length of Yuri’s eyelashes and the way her fingertips graze the hem of her skirt.

Besides, she thinks she already knows.

Neither of them speak the whole time, and when Natsuki’s done with the food, Yuri takes the dish and politely leaves. Natsuki stares at the closed door for a solid three count before lying back down again.

The third time she wakes up, its to the sound of sirens and footsteps coming up the stairs. She sits up a little, but a pain in her side keeps her from going much further. Is something going on…? She’s not quite awake enough to piece the situation together.

Sayori is the first one to come through the door, followed by a woman in white that she doesn’t recognize. Sayori is saying something, something too fast to process, but she’s definitely telling Natsuki to calm down, these people are going to _help_ her…

Something in the tone of Sayori’s voice makes Natsuki inclined to believe her. Still, she doesn’t stay awake much longer than that.

The fourth time she wakes up, it’s in a different room entirely. All she can see is a white ceiling, and then she blinks, and her eyes adjust. By her side, someone gasps.

Natsuki turns her head, and vibrant violent enters her field of vision. Yuri doesn’t say anything, and for a while, neither does she. When she finally does speak, her voice is hoarse from disuse. “...Hi.”

A breath leaves Yuri, and her shoulders relax (Natsuki hadn’t realized how _tense_ she was). “You’re okay.”

“I’m…,” Natsuki swallows. She wants to ask what happened, but to be perfectly honest, she already knows. “...Where’s my dad?”

“In custody,” Yuri tells her, and the words feel like sweet relief. “The police found him at a nearby bar. He…,” she reaches out and lays a hand on Natsuki’s, “he can’t hurt you anymore.”

Tears sting at Natsuki’s eyes, and she blinks rapidly. She’s not sure what she’s feeling, but she’s feeling a lot of it; too much to hold it in. Yuri must sense this, because she opens her arms invitingly, and Natsuki rushes straight into them. “Thank you,” she sobs, in lieu of a more composed way to show her gratitude. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_.” Yuri doesn’t say anything in reply; instead she just rubs small, slow circles into her back, and Natsuki thinks that’s better than almost anything she could say right now.

By the time she pulls back, she’s a wet, blotchy mess, and Yuri smiles at her before handing her a tissue. Their fingers brush as she takes it, and Natsuki spits out the first words that come to mind. “I read your poem.”

Yuri stills. “...What poem, exactly?” God, even when she’s frightened, she’s always so composed. How sickeningly perfect.

“The one under your pillow,” Natsuki clarifies as she wipes at her face with the tissue. “The one that was addressed to me.” She always thought she would be nervous doing this, or that she’d put up more of a fight, but after all that’s happened today, she’s too tired to waste any more time. Especially when she knows how Yuri feels about her.

Yuri’s cheeks flush a brilliant shade of red, and she starts to play with a long strand of her hair. “...Ah. That one.”

“Yeah,” Natsuki says, her tone a little harder. “That one.” Yuri draws into herself a little more, and Natsuki huffs out a sigh. “I’m not mad. Just… tell me about it.” When Yuri stays silent for a little longer, she timidly adds, “...Did you mean it? Everything you wrote?”

There’s a pause, and then Yuri nods. “I… wanted a way to let out my feelings, and Sayori suggested poetry. I already write it regularly, so the most difficult part was… trying to put my feelings into words.” She finally risks a glance at Natsuki. “I hope it didn’t upset you…”

Natsuki huffs. “Oh, come on. I just told you I wasn’t mad, didn’t I?” When Yuri doesn’t reply, she eases forward, shakily taking one of Yuri’s hands in hers. “Look, I really… I didn’t mind the poem."

“...You didn’t?”

She nods. “It was kind of good, actually.” When Yuri just continues to stare at her, she throws her head back and groans. “God, I can’t expect you to get anything… W-what I’m trying to say is…,” she’s growing as pink as her hair now, “I like you, too.”

She’s pretty sure she could write a thousand even better poems about the look on Yuri’s face, but she doesn’t have much time to study it before she’s being pulled in for a kiss.

 

(this time she looks. she looks and looks and looks until she can be sure natsuki’s okay.

and when natsuki is dismissed from the hospital, walking hand-in-hand with yuri the whole way home… that’s when sayori’s sure she’s going to be alright.)

**Author's Note:**

> (also, hilariously, monika's glitched out name text tried to break the story when i previewed it. not again, monika!!!)


End file.
